


The Beta Timeline

by swiftMartyrdom (gatonip)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Beta Timeline, F/M, reader-driven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-14
Updated: 2011-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-20 10:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatonip/pseuds/swiftMartyrdom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reader-driven style. Basically my take on what happened to Karkat and Terezi in the doomed beta timeline.<br/>Rated for the reader and the narrator's language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beta Timeline

**Author's Note:**

> Not my first fan fiction, but it IS my first Homestuck fan fiction and my first using this site (I'm usually on FanFiction.net). So uh, yeah.
> 
> SONG INSPIRATION: Young Forever - The Ready Set

**> Be Terezi**

Which timeline Terezi are you referencing? There are many, considering TIME TRAVEL is not an UNCOMMON OCCURANCE in this universe.

**> Uh…be Terezi from the doomed timeline**

Which doomed timeline Terezi are you referencing?

**> You insufferable little…BE TEREZI FROM THE BETA TIMELINE**

Alright, you don’t need to be so snippy about it.

_GOTT4 F1ND H1M…GOTT4 W4RN H1M…FUCK YOU VR1SK4! FUCK MYS3LF FOR L3TT1NG YOU G3T 4W4Y. 1’V3 DOOM3D US 4LL, STUP1D L1TTL3 WR1GGL3R! …GOTT4 F1ND H1M…_

You are TEREZI PYROPE from the BETA TIMELINE. You are a TROLL and a native to the LATE PLANET ALTERNIA. Not long ago, you confronted your RIVAL/PAST FLARPING PARTNER VRISKA SERKET on the ROOF. You warned her about the IMPENDING DOOM that would plaque you and the SURVIVING MEMBERS of your kind if she were to go through with her plans. But she FAILS TO COMPREHEND WHAT SHE ASSUMES IS JUST SHIT COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH and went off to fight JACK NOIR anyways.

You are currently RUSHING through the hallways of the HIDEOUT in THE VEIL in search of another surviving troll, KARKAT VANTAS. It has been A WHILE since you last spoke to him, using TROLLMEGGLE or otherwise. You need to FIND him and WARN him of JACK’S incoming arrival, hence why you are repeatedly thinking in your head “GOTT4 F1ND H1M…GOTT4 W4RN H1M…” Indeed it would be wise of you to do so.

**> Find Karkat**

KARKAT will not just MAGICALLY APPEAR in front of you, nor would finding him BE THAT SIMPLE, DIPSHIT. He is most likely HIDING from JACK, or perhaps GAMZEE MAKARA, or maybe a COMBINATION of the two.

**> Keep running then**

You continue to run. Hallway after hallway, corner after corner…this place seems so ENDLESS to you. And it smells BLAND, GRAY, and METALLIC. You would not care to LICK these walls as they would probably taste REVOLTING.

**> Lick the walls**

Is your THINK PAN malfunctioning? It was clearly stated NOT A FULL SENTENCE AGO that LICKING the walls would be A BAD IDEA.

**> Continue down the hallway**

You do so. Hallway…hallway…hallway…the HIDEOUT is so much like AN EMPTY VOID. You cannot begin to comprehend its endlessness. You come to yet another corner when you hear a NOISE.

**> Investigate noise**

This NOISE is confusing you. You are not sure what it is, but it is VERY CLOSE BY.

**> Peek around corner**

Perhaps you have FORGOTTEN, but you are still RUNNING down the hallway. Your command to “peek around corner” was received LATE, and you cannot stop moving before you REACH THE CORNER. In other words, you are going to RUN RIGHT PAST THE CORNER and most likely EXPOSE YOURSELF to whatever made the NOISE.

**> Be Karkat**

Let’s assume you meant Karkat from the Beta timeline, for time’s sake. Though if you were THE KNIGHT OF TIME or the MAID OF TIME, time would not be a problem, would it?

**> Get on with it! Be Karkat**

As you wish, dipshit.

You are KARKAT VANTAS from the BETA TIMELINE. Like TEREZI, you are also a TROLL from ALTERNIA. You have been playing this GAME with your FELLOW TROLLS for what seems to be SWEEPS now, and frankly you are SICK OF IT.  
Currently you are in THE VEIL, hiding with your FRIEND/RIVAL SOLLUX CAPTOR. SOLLUX was recently BLINDED in a BATTLE with another troll, ERIDAN EMPORA. Therefore he is now pretty much DEFENSELESS, seeing as he can’t, well, see.

You are not entirely sure WHAT TO DO NEXT.

**> Jump off the asteroid**

Let’s not and say we did.

**> Find Jack**

How about a command that isn’t a suicide attempt?

**> Find Terezi**

And leave SOLLUX all by himself? Surely you do not really believe an INEXPERIENCED BLIND TROLL could fend for himself in the case of a SUBJUGGULATOR ATTACK. You need to be his eyes. And anyways, TEREZI is DEAD, at least as far as you know.

**> Find Terezi**

We have discussed this already.

**> FIND TEREZI YOU LITTLE MOTHERFUCKER**

Fine. You STAND UP from your sitting position next to SOLLUX and make for the EXIT.

“…KK?”

SOLLUX seems to have heard you. Now what, asshole?

**> See what he wants**

You wait to see what he says next.

“Y0u’re g0nna g0 find TZ, aren’t y0u.”

Unless the lack of a QUESTION MARK didn’t cross your mind, that wasn’t a question.

**> Ask how he knows**

“HOW DID YOU KNOW?”

“If I was y0u, I w0uld d0 the same. G0, find her. Bef0re anyb0dy else d0es.”

**> Suggest Sollux comes along**

“WHY DON’T YOU COME WITH ME?”

SOLLUX smiles, which looks odd considering his teeth are BROKEN and were HASTELY SHOVED back in his mouth.

“Nah, I’d just be a burden t0 y0u. Can’t d0 much anyways. But I’m 0kay with that. And y0u sh0uld be, t00. S0 g0 find TZ, and let her kn0w I said hi.”

You can tell by the way he phrased the last part that he knows HE WON’T MAKE IT. But he is 0kay with that.

You almost start CRYING HYSTERICALLY at your friend’s BRAVERY. Almost.

**> Give Sollux an I’m-sorry-I’m-leaving-you-but-you-know-you-still-mean-a-lot-to-me hug**

This is a very LENGTHY TITLE for a hug. But seeing as most TROLL FILM TITLES are also lengthy, we’ll let it slide.  
You give SOLLUX the aforementioned HUG.

**> Find Terezi**

You’ll have to go looking for her.

**> Fine. GO LOOKING for Terezi**

You start wandering the HALLS of the HIDEOUT in search of TEREZI. Considering there is A MOTHERFUCKING PSYCHOPATH on the loose, you feel a bit exposed.

**> Grab sickle**

You grab your trusty SICKLE out of your SYLLADEX and continue your journey. It’s very DARK and GLOOMY in the HIDEOUT and for once you wish there was some other color in here that wasn’t DARK and/or GLOOMY. Frankly it’s starting to REALLY CREEP YOU OUT.

**> Suck it up and keep going**

You do so. You fail to SUCK IT UP, but maybe REASSURANCE will make you feel better. Had I (THE NARRATOR) been in your position, I too would be EXTREMELY CREEPED OUT at every little noise I heard. Oh, what was that? How ironic. There’s a NOISE.

**> Be creeped out and investigate noise**

You are already CREEPED OUT. This NOISE is somewhere in front of you, though you are not sure what is causing it.

**> What is it?**

Figure it out.

**> Figure out what the noise is**

It seems to be a tapping sound. A very FAST tapping sound actually, coming from right around the corner. It seems to grow louder and you assume IT IS COMING CLOSER TO YOU.

**> Run the opposite way**

That’s not very smart. What if you tripped and IMPALED yourself with your SICKLE?

**> Wait for noise to get close enough and swing wildly at it**

We’ll save the WILD SWINGING for another time. The sound gets closer and you grip your SICKLE tightly, anxious to see the maker of this NOISE. It gets LOUDER, and LOUDER, and LOUDER …well you get the picture.

**> Be Doc Scratch**

Wait what? Umm, no. You cannot be DOC SCRATCH. You have tried this command IN THE PAST and the same outcome you got BACK THEN is the same as it is now. You may only OBSERVE him. You cannot be him. And also DOC SCRATCH has nothing to do with the current situation so it would be best to digress back there, shall we?

**> Be Terezi**

You are TEREZI PYROPE again, and as previously mentioned you are RUNNING DOWN THE HALLWAY about to EXPOSE YOURSELF to whatever is making the NOISE around the corner.

**> Stop running**

You’ve tried this already.

**> Just let things happen on their own then**

As you completely pass the corner and nearly SLAM INTO THE WALL, you look around to see what was MAKING THAT NOISE in the first place. Standing there with what you smell is the expression of a TERRIFIED LITTLE WRIGGLER is KARKAT.

You will your legs to STOP MOVING and they agree this time. For a moment you stand there STARING at KARKAT (off-center mind you, remember you are BLIND and despite your KEEN SENSES your gaze is not always perfect). You’re not really doing anything else. It seems you’ve drawn A THINK PAN BLANK.

**> Erase the think pan blank drawing and be Karkat**

It was a figure of speech; you can’t actually ERASE your THINK PAN BLANK. I digress…you are now KARKAT VANTAS again, and you are STARING at the maker of the NOISE, TEREZI. To say the least you are A BIT SHOCKED to see her alive and for a moment you aren’t sure what to do.

**> Let things just happen again**

When your THINK PAN starts functioning normally again you feel a sense of OVERWELMING RELIEF come over you. Never mind the fact that TEREZI isn’t saying anything, you are just relived she’s actually NOT SLAUGHTERED like everyone else.

Other than sheer ANGER, you’re not one to show much emotion. But right now YOU FAIL TO GIVE A FUCK. That and you are still TERRIFIED OUT OF YOUR MIND of anything out there. So you do what you deem sensible in this situation.

You cautiously take a few steps forward, and then LAUNCH YOURSELF into a very startled TEREZI.

**> Be Terezi**

Once again, you are TEREZI PYROPE, and KARKAT LAUNCHING HIMSELF into you definitely startled you. KARKAT never acts like this, with you or otherwise, so frankly you DID NOT SEE THIS COMING. But as sloppy of a hug as it is, it’s still a hug, so the only sensible thing to do is to HUG HIM BACK. You can feel him shaking in your arms and you swear that he’s about to START CRYING.

But this isn’t the place for that.

**> Find the place for that**

You lift KARKAT up to a more stable standing position and urge him into a nearby RESPITEBLOCK, looking over your shoulder to make sure no PSYCHOPATHS or EVIL DEITIES are behind you.

**> Examine respiteblock**

You don’t believe you’ve been in this particular RESPITEBLOCK before; however judging by the overwhelming smell of VARIOUS COLORS and PATTERNS you can safely assume this is KANAYA MARYAM’S RESPITEBLOCK.

**> Focus on Karkat, what’s going on with him?**

KARKAT is still shaking uncontrollably, and the minute you shut the door he returned to CLINGING to you FOR DEAR LIFE. He’s also mumbling something but his mouth is BURIED in your shoulder.

**> Yank up his head by his hair so you can hear better**

That would be very rude.

**> Gently lift up his chin so you can hear better**

That’s better.

You do so, and he looks up at you with the same TERRIFIED LITTLE WRIGGLER expression on his face as before.

Except now you can smell cherry red, in part because you two are so close now and HIS MUTANT BLOOD is at a smaller distance from your nose, and in part because there are TEARS streaking down his face.

**> Ask him to repeat himself**

You don’t have to; he does so without you asking.

“I-I THOUGHT…I THOUGHT HE…THAT HE…”

And he buries his face in your shoulder again without finishing the sentence.

**> Hug him and stand there awkwardly**

If you wish to feel awkward about it, go right ahead.

**> Be Karkat**

KARKAT is a little distraught right now, try again later.

**> Let things happen**

As you wish.

You are still TEREZI and you stand there a while, just holding him and comforting him. He seems to be too preoccupied with HOLDING YOU and CRYING than trying to speak, which is just as well, since he most likely would not be able to FORM ANY COHERENT WORDS anyways. You know that JACK will be coming soon and you may very well be WASTING the last moments of your life this way, but it doesn’t seem like you’re WASTING TIME at all by doing this.

KARKAT eventually stops shaking and lifts his face off of your shoulder. He is still FRIGHTENED but not as much as before. You feel him looking at you IN THAT ODD WAY THAT WE CAN SENSE ANOTHER BEING’S PRESENSE WITHOUT SEEING THEM but he is not speaking.

**> Be Karkat**

For some unknown reason YOU CANNOT BE KARKAT.

**> Let more things happen**

Still as TEREZI, you wait for MORE THINGS TO HAPPEN. At the moment you are just STANDING THERE, KARKAT still in your arms and you feel him STARING at you.

You suddenly smell A BIT MORE CANDY RED than before, and it takes a moment to realize he’s moved CLOSER to you. You continue to WAIT, not sure what else to do, or why you SMELL MORE RED NOW.

And then you feel a PRESSURE on your lips and your BURNED OUT EYES widen in surprise.

Oh. What an interesting development.

**> Narrator: explain the interesting development a lot more simply please**

Well since you said please.

In simple terms, KARKAT just KISSED you and the reason you SMELL MORE RED NOW is because he is BLUSHING.

**> OOOOOHHHHHH now I get it. Kiss him back**

After a moment you find yourself KISSING HIM BACK. This FEELING you are suddenly feeling is very NEW to you. You and your MATESPRIT have never KISSED before, and you quite like it.

You smell TEAL now and realize you too are BLUSHING. But you do not really care at the moment.

>Do something inappropriate, perhaps involving a bucket

You are 6 SWEEPS OLD and this is YOUR FIRST KISS. You are JUST NOT READY for that type of thing.

Also, this is not the time for that, and bringing a WRIGGLER into this universe would not be very smart RIGHT NOW. Perhaps at a later date, in another timeline?

**> Ugh fine, let things happen**

This seems to be some sort of default command for you. Very well.  
KARKAT pulls away from the KISS and you feel him looking at you again. He SPEAKS, his voice A LITTLE SHAKEY.

“T-TEREZI?”

“Y34H?”

He pauses a moment.

“…I LOVE YOU.”

Hmm. Another interesting development. No one has ever told you they love you before. You ASSUMED that KARKAT loves you because he is, after all, your MATESPRIT. But to assume it and to hear it are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. Like HUMAN ROMANCE and TROLL ROMANCE.

There must be a QUESTIONING LOOK on your face, based on KARKAT’S phrasing of his next sentence.

“I DO, REALLY. I’M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU WERE NICE OR BECAUSE WE’RE PROBABLY GOING TO DIE. I REALLY LOVE YOU, TEREZI.”

You are SPEECHLESS. But only for a moment. Because you are TEREZI, and you are VERY RARELY AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. As in this situation. You know exactly what YOU ARE GOING TO SAY.

“…1 LOV3 YOU TOO.”

There.

MATESPRITNESS FORMALLY REQUITED.

Let us celebrate.

**> Spot Jack**

Oh, it seems we’re going to celebrate THIS JOYOUS OCCASION with a BLOODBATH.

You psychopath.

You smell BLACK LICORICE somewhere in front of you and the SMILE that was forming on your face HAS GRABBED A ONE-WAY TRAIN BACK TO HAPPY TOWN.

**> Skip ahead**

You see nothing, hear nothing, taste nothing, and think nothing. A whole lot of NOTHING.

**> You went too far. Back up a minute**

You struggle to breathe and there is a PIERCING PAIN in your chest. You smell a mixture of TEAL and RED on the floor, which is soaked into you FLARP COSTUME. Across from you is KARKAT. The smell of RED coming from him is suddenly REVOLTING and you feel sick.

**> Be Karkat**

You are now KARKAT VANTAS. You are lying on the cold floor in a puddle of YOUR OWN BLOOD as well as TEREZI’S BLOOD. You’re finding it difficult to breathe. TEREZI also appears to be in great pain. You wish you could STOP the pain for both of you, mostly her. Things are getting fuzzy to you. BLACK is creeping into your vision. It’s scaring you.

You try to REACH OUT with you right hand to touch TEREZI. You want to comfort her, though you want comfort as well. She senses the motion and also REACHES OUT her hand.

The black fuzziness is overwhelming though. Suddenly EVERYTHING IS BLACK and you feel a sense of inner peace. There is not SO MUCH PAIN anymore. The last thing you hear is VERY FAINT.

“1 lov3 you k4rk4t”

You SMILE. The last thing you feel yourself say is almost COMPLETELY SILENT.

“i love you too terezi”

You can no longer be KARKAT VANTAS from the BETA TIMELINE. He is DEAD.

**> Be Terezi**

You can no longer be TEREZI PYROPE from the BETA TIMELINE. She is DEAD.

**> Be Sollux**

You are now SOLLUX CAPTOR. You feel something slash across your PROTEIN CHUTE, and then something WET when you reach up at the WOUND.

You can no longer be SOLLUX CAPTOR from the BETA TIMELINE. He is DEAD.

**> That’s depressing. End timeline**

The timeline is complete.

In other words, TIME FOR YOU TO GO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO READ.


End file.
